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Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta listed out 3 of the best midfielders in his opinion, in an interview on Nasu Diasuke's official YouTube channel. This Spaniard has, unsurprisingly, chosen to opt for former Blaugrana midfielders when asked about his top 3, naming Michael Laudrup, Xavi Hernandez, and Sergio Busquets.
Laudrup was arguably one of the greatest creative midfielders of his generation and also went on to represent arch-rivals Real Madrid after his time at Barcelona. After a 4-year spell at Juventus, the Dane went on to play at the Nou Camp for 5 years, winning 4 La Liga titles and a Champions League with the club.
His connection to the Los Blancos has hardly stopped Iniesta from heaping praise on the 55-year-old and went on to reveal that the Dane was his boyhood idol. He said,
Michael Laudrup has been my idol since childhood. His fun technique and style, the way he attacked as a midfielder; I’ve tried to be like him since I was a kid.
Iniesta played alongside Xavi and Busquets to form what is argued to be the greatest midfield in football history, and Iniesta went on to describe his experience playing beside two of his longest-serving former teammates. The former Barcelona skipper added,
I have played with Xavi for a long time and have seen him a lot on television. He is my ideal player because of how he can control the games. He has the ability to provide quality passes in the right places and he is also a leader He really is an ideal midfielder for me.
Like Xavi, I played with Sergio Busquets for a long time, both with Barcelona and with the Spanish national team. He plays a very important, supportive midfielder – he can read football matches so well.
He’s a good passer but he also creates lanes for center backs. His role is very important to make the Barcelona system work.
This surreal midfield was the brainchild of Pep Guardiola, arguably the most successful manager of the 21st century. It was the Catalan who oversaw this masterful combination blossom into an all-conquering midfield at the heart of his unstoppable Blaugrana army in the late 2000s.
Iniesta did, however, remark that it was a difficult choice to exclude his former boss for the player he was, stating that the former defensive midfielder and current Manchester City boss was also someone the World Cup-winner looked up to as a child. He said,
Pep (Guardiola) should also be on the list because he was a childhood hero alongside Laudrup.
The 35-year-old Spaniard left Barcelona ahead of the 2018/19 season on a free transfer to Japanese side Vissel Kobe, after serving the Blaugrana for nearly 18 years.
